True Friends
by jibber59
Summary: Friends are the family you choose, and who will be there for you whether you ask them to or not. Especially 'or not'.
1. Chapter 1

Vin tapped on Chris's office door, not waiting for a response before poking his head in. "You may want to join us out here. Front desk just called. Ezra has a visitor coming up."

Chris's face fell. "Maude?" he asked with trepidation. Visits from his mother always resulted in several days of depression for Ezra, and the man was already worn down from a tough case they had just wrapped up.

"No, think it might be worse than that." Chris didn't want to imagine what that could entail. "Someone from the FBI."

"Shit." Yup, definitely worse.

"Yeah, that was our reaction."

Ezra had made a concerted effort to avoid contact with any of the agents from his former employer. The parting of ways had been far less than ideal, and the unwarranted taint of suspicion remained. Every time the team had been required to work with the FBI, there had been trouble. Now, one of them was here. And looking for Ezra.

"We have a name or a reason?" Chris asked softly as he stood and walked to the door.

"Not as of yet. And there is no need for you to whisper Mr. Larabee. I am aware of the impending arrival."

"You don't seem to be too worried about it."

"I have no reason to be. I have done nothing wrong." Chris was pleased to see the confident assurance on Ezra face.

He'd have been far less pleased if he'd been aware of the racing pulse and climbing blood pressure. True, he had done nothing wrong. But then, he'd done nothing wrong two years ago when rumors and innuendo spread by agents jealous of his record had sent his career into a tail spin. In short order, he went from top agent to pariah. His resignation was submitted just hours before any decision would have been taken out of his hands. He knew he could challenge the accusations; that there couldn't possibly be a valid case against him. But he couldn't bring himself to make the effort. The energy and the willpower were both lacking, and the sense of abandonment almost overwhelming. He also knew winning would make no difference, as he would never be fully trusted again. And losing – that could mean prison, and there was simply no way that could end well.

Then, at his lowest point (which was saying something given his past experiences) he had found Team Seven. Or, more accurately, they had found him. The day Travis, Larabee and the others had been willing to look past all the crap and see the true potential had been the luckiest of his life, both professionally and personally.

Now he stood facing away from the door, calmly hiding the dread that was growing inside him.

"So," came an assured sounding voice from the entrance, "this is where you found your bolthole. Have you managed to work your so-called charms on these guys as well?" He didn't seem to notice six men moving toward him with, if not murder, at least mayhem on their minds. "Or did they see past all your self-deprecating crap and figure out how lucky they are to have you around?" All six froze in confusion. In that instant, Ezra spun around on his heel, a broad smile lighting his face.

"LaRue, you southern rebel son-of-a-bitch! They actually released you from the bowels of FBI hell and allowed you out amoung the unsuspecting public! I presumed you had resigned yourself to a permanent residency in some sub-basement level corner cubby-hole counting paperclips."

"I have, but every now and then when no one is looking I sneak out the back door."

"Gentlemen" he turned to encompass the team in his gaze. "Allow me to introduce you to one of the very few FBI agents who can tolerate being in my presence. This is Daniel LaRue." The rest of the team relaxed slightly, but it was evident they were not yet convinced Ezra was not in some kind of danger. He laughed loudly.

"You'll have to forgive them. They have highly developed guard dog tendencies.

The pup there is JD Dunne. Don't be fooled by his youthful appearance. There is not an action, legal or otherwise, that he cannot perform on that accursed computer of his.

Growling in the background behind him is Buck Wilmington. Down Buck. Sit. He is our pitbull. Looks and sounds tough, but a softie underneath it all.

The bull mastiff smiling at you is Josiah Sanchez. As our profiler, I can guarantee you he already knows more about you than you would like him to. Take great comfort in the fact he is smiling. It will help settle the others."

"I think I'll introduce myself if you don't mind Ezra. Not really sure I want to know what kind of dog you think I am. Name is Nathan Jackson. Can't say there are very many of your fellow agents I'd say this to, but nice to meet you."

"Over there is Vin Tanner." Ezra continued. "I'd have to rely on someone else's expertise to name the breed but find the best hunting or tracking dog in existence, and he'd out do them all." Vin smiled and offered a handshake, deciding he'd been called much worse in his life.

"That leaves only our alpha male. Daniel, meet Chris Larabee." Daniel turned to look squarely at Chris. The two men stared for a few seconds before both slowly reached out a hand.

"I'm gonna piss off Standish something fierce now, but I need to say this to you – all of you. I was lucky enough to work with him a few times before the shit hit the fan at the Bureau. Want to thank you all for taking him into your team the way you did. Don't mind saying I was damn worried about how things were going to work out for him. Gotta say now that, despite all the crap that he went through, landing here the way he did was the best thing that ever happened to him."

Chris had been listening and heard the sincerity and emotion in the man's voice. "It all worked out pretty good for us too."

They all grinned at Ezra's evident discomfort at being the topic of conversation.

"Ezra, if we all took you in like that, does that mean you're some kind of stray?" JD fought to keep the smile from his face as he asked. Ezra huffed his annoyance at the notion.

"Gentlemen. If you are all through with his maudlin display of sentimentality we can move onto more interesting subjects. Well, perhaps not more interesting, but at the least, more relevant."

"Ah, ain't that cute – he's blushing."

Ezra chose to ignore Buck, and the laughter that resulted from his observation.

"What brings you to our neck of the woods?" Chris decided to take pity on Ezra and refocus the discussion. "Guessing it is more that a social call after this much time."

"Sort of unofficial business." Ezra flinched inwardly, hoping that business didn't involve him. "I work mostly the dead files at the Bureau now. Ezra wasn't kidding when he said I'm in a sub-basement office. Mostly I just transcribe notes and test results into data bases, and usually those are from the forgotten cold cases."

"Sounds like a lovely job. Who did you piss off, and how?" Nathan didn't notice that his question caused Ezra to go pale.

Daniel looked to his friend before answering. "Let's just say I've never been all that good about keeping my opinion to myself. Especially when I know that things are wrong."

Chris had seen the look pass and knew immediately the offense LaRue had committed. "Insubordination, right? You did what the others wouldn't."

"Knew there was no way Ezra was dirty. He's too damn smart to be that stupid. Targeting him was the easy answer to a lot of unanswered questions in the office, and they dumped the whole load onto his shoulders. I made it clear what I thought of what they did."

"Took a lot of guts, all things considered." Vin stated.

"Not really. Too little, and too late."

"If you'd spoken up sooner or louder you too would have been removed from your position. I was alone, with no other considerations. You have a wife and son to consider in your actions."

"Had. Jenny was none to pleased with my demotion, since she thought she was marrying a future regional director. Left me and set her sights elsewhere. She's engaged to a banking executive now."

Ezra had allowed his emotions to get the best of him for the moment. "Daniel, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. That shouldn't… I'm so sorry."

"Don't Ezra. It's not your fault that she was that shallow. You never were her biggest fan, and she knew you didn't trust her. Now I know why."

"But…"

"No 'but'. I see you fellows haven't broken him of the habit of claiming responsibility for everything bad that happens within a 20-mile radius. He any better about taking credit for the successes?"

"Not that we've noticed."

Ezra didn't smile at the exchange. "Your support of me served no purpose and appears to have done a pretty good job ruining your life. Explain to me how I do not take responsibility for those circumstances."

"Did you do what they said Ezra? Any of it? Take bribes? Tip off suspects? Steal drugs and money? Sleep with the enemy? Did you beat up on informants? Did you do any of that?"

"No." Ezra's voice was almost to quiet to be heard

The rest of the team was shocked at the list. They had never asked, and he had never volunteered what kind of accusations had been leveled. They had all assumed he'd been accused of taking bribes, but the rest of the list was a complete revelation. Larabee alone was unsurprised, as he and Judge Travis had seen the files. It had been agreed there was no reason to make Ezra provide details.

"Did you tip off anyone in the Giannopolous gang as to who the informant was? Did you get Ricky killed?"

"No." Ezra looked away as he answered.

"Then how in hell is any of this your fault? Have you forgotten you are the victim in all of this?"

"They accused you of getting a man killed?" Josiah looked as angry as they all felt. "How in God's name could they imagine something like that?"

"He was my informant. No one else knew who he was. At least, no one else should have. The night before he was going to give a deposition on activities of the gang, he had his throat slit."

"The whole thing embarrassed the hell out of the powers that be. They had a big bust planned. Media attention, the whole deal. A few had planned to run for office based on this raid. Left them with egg on their faces and desperately in need of a scapegoat and revenge. That's where Ezra came in."

"I should have taken better care with Ricky. He was just a kid."

"He was 23 and had been involved for nearly a decade. He had his share of blood on his hands Ezra, and he was doing this to avoid going to jail, not out of any sudden change of heart."

"That didn't matter."

"Damn it! I am **not** having this fight with you again. The only people to blame for what happened to you are the ones who did tip off Giannopolous, the ones who killed Ricky and the idiots at the bureau more interested in protecting their image than finding the truth."

There was 30 seconds of silence as the two men stared down each other. Finally, Ezra sighed deeply.

"You did not finish answering Mr. Larabee's question. What has brought you into our fair city?"

LaRue let out his own sigh, frustrated that his friend clearly was not going to allow for any latitude on what he saw as his guilt. There was no point in pursuing it now, but he hoped to be able to follow up later, when they were alone. "Local cops have some evidence relating to an old cold case. I said I'd come and get it, take a few statements in the process. Gives me a chance to look into another case I've been working on."

"They sent you here for that?"

"Yeah, they seem to think this type if activity is humiliating for me. Errand boy for the bureau. But I've put together evidence to solve 5 cold cases in the last 11 months. That's not bad in my books."

"Guessing they make sure someone else is getting the credit." Vin commented.

"That's not why I do the job."

Chris grinned as he made a decision. "If you want out of the bureau, say the word. I'm sure Judge Travis could have your transfer papers processed before you have time to finish whatever you're doing here. Doesn't sound like you have a lot to go back home for." He was pleased to see Ezra come back to life with the suggestion.

"Still have my son there. He's nine. Jenny may be many things, but she's never been vindictive enough to keep me from seeing him."

"We have offices in Georgia you know. At least it would get you out of the basement." Buck offered.

"I'll think about it. In the meantime, I better get my ass back in gear. Did come here for work after all."

"How long are you staying?"

"A few days. Going to be meeting with people this evening and tomorrow at least."

Ezra went to his desk and grabbed a spare set of keys. "You'll be staying with me then. Use these whenever you're done." Daniel held up his hand before the keys were tossed to him.

"No, I'm already checked in to my hotel. At least for tonight that will be easier. I do want to have a chance to catch up properly though."

"OK, so you'll stay tomorrow." He tossed the keys. "In case you change your mind. You have the address?" he added, digging into the back of the drawer to find a rarely used business card. He quickly wrote a name and address on the back. "If you finish up early tonight you can join us here for a drink. Inez's. Just a couple blocks from here. We'll be there, or at least I will, till about 9."

He handed the card over and took Daniel's hand for a moment. "Try to get there. Or to my place. I really want to talk with you. It's been too long."

"I will." He stepped back and looked around the room. "Glad to finally have a chance to meet all of you. Really."

"Let me walk you out." He glanced over to Chris. "If I may have a few minutes?"

"Sure Ezra. Go for a coffee if you want."

"No, thanks. We haven't got the time. But I will take the escort. Like I said, good meeting you all."

"Is there any news from Atlanta that would be of interest to me?" Ezra asked as the elevator doors closed.

"Not much. Few retirements, couple of transfers and the like. Calavicci got promoted to regional District Director."

"He's a decent man. Not much imagination, but so honest as to be quite dull."

"Yeah, he's still a bit of a Puritan."

"What about Burton? Or Steck?"

"Come on Ezra. You really don't care about any of that. Why did you want to talk to me alone?" They were out of the building now, and Ezra glanced around at the activity, then steered Daniel to a quieter spot.

"Answer me honestly Daniel. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Ezra. Just here on business is all."

"Have you forgotten to whom you are speaking? I could see through you then, and nothing has changed."

"Never could bluff you."

"Then there is no point in wasting the effort."

"I'm not lying Ezra. I'm fine. Haven't been for a while, but things are back on track."

"You should have contacted me when they went off track."

"Neither one of us is ever been too good about sharing our problems." Ezra watched him, waiting for details. "Look. I really don't want to go into it all here and now. But we can later." Ezra didn't waver his glance. "Okay, thumbnail version. I crashed after my marriage ended. Drinking, not working, the whole thing. But I got past it Ezra. Been in AA for almost a year. I'm reconnecting with my son, and getting things cleaned up at work. And now, well I may be looking at a new job if your boss wasn't messing with me."

"Chris doesn't do that. Not his style."

"Good."

Ezra took a step back, slightly mollified by the information. "We will be having a much longer discussion of all of this, focusing on your failure to communicate with me regarding these matters."

"That's a two-way street, but sure, we can talk. Right now, I really do need to get going Ezra, but I will be in touch tonight." He paused for a moment. "Your right though. We let too much time go by."

"That is the wonderful thing about old friends. They can pick up exactly where they last were."

Ezra watched him drive off a moment later, smiling at the comfort he felt in being able to reconnect with an old friend. He'd been saddened when he left Atlanta, believing all ties had been irreparably severed. He glanced upward as he walked back to the building smiling even broader as he thought of the ties that had been created.

M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7

 _tbc_


	2. Chapter 2

Ezra re-entered the office and found himself greeted by six men staring at him with a quiet smouldering blend of sympathy and anger.

"You should have told us about all of that crap Ezra." Buck started.

"Why? What earthly purpose would it have served to plant further seeds of doubt in your minds? I could not have shared the information when I first joined, and there rarely seems to be an appropriate moment since then to bring such matters up in casual conversation. What was I supposed to say? 'Oh by the way, did I ever mention to you that the FBI thinks I whored myself out to drug dealers for a piece of the action?"

"It isn't about doubt Ezra." He was a bit surprised to hear the emotion in Nathan's voice. "It's about having your friends be there for you."

"You'll have to forgive me. Knowing how to deal with having friends is still a fairly new concept to me."

"Don't know about that Pard. I'd say you have a pretty good one that just left the room."

"Yes, you are right about that." He turned to Chris. "Do you really believe Judge Travis would be able to arrange have him transferred to the Georgia offices?" There was almost a hint of desperation in the question.

"Wouldn't have suggested it otherwise. You want me to go talk to him? I can get the wheels started at least. If Daniel decides no, there's no harm. But since you can talk the bees into giving up their honey, I'm pretty sure you'll have him convinced before his visit is done."

"It would be appreciated."

"OK, everybody back to work. Those reports won't write themselves." Chris glared to silence the groans, with little effect. Growling under his breath, he turned to leave, stopping at Ezra's desk.

"You OK? That couldn't have been what you needed today?"

"The memories, no. Seeing an old friend. Yes, that is something I needed. I'll be fine. Better tonight if he joins us."

"If he does, and you want us gone, just give me a sign and I'll clear the boys out."

7-7-7-7-7-7-7

It was getting close to 9:00. They'd had dinner and were slowly working on the final round of the night. Chris and Josiah sat with coffee cups, having been voted the designated drivers for the night. It should have been Josiah and Ezra, but the undercover expert was far to anxious that evening to be able to handle the caffeine. Not that the scotch was helping matters.

"Relax Ezra. He said he might have to work late, and not to expect him." JD advised.

"I should have enquired as to which establishment he was staying at. I have no way to contact him."

Chris smiled sadly. Ezra was rarely this open with his emotions, and while it was kind of nice to see a slightly more vulnerable side, the flip side of that was the realization some of the anxiety was coming from his self-doubts. He was about to add his own commentary when Ezra's phone rang. The smile of relief on his face faded a bit as soon as he realized it wasn't Daniel.

"Yes, this is Ezra Standish. To whom do I have the pleasure…? Detective Blair. How may I be of assistance to you?" His face become frozen in neutral as he listened. "You found my card in his pocket? No other ID?"

The rest of the team had gone almost as pale as Ezra as they listened. They were already reaching for their jackets as Chris pulled out his wallet throwing cash on the table without bothering to count.

"The man you are asking about? 44 years old. Collar length brown hair flecked with grey, especially at the temples. Narrow face, clean shaven. Slight build. 5' 11'', about 175 pounds." Vin reached over to put a hand on Ezra shoulder, fearing he was about to slip from the chair.

"Please give me your location. No, I need to come to you. Don't move him, don't do anything else. Yes, I realize this is not an ATF matter. No, please…"

Chris reached out and took the phone from Ezra, meeting no resistance. "This is Agent Larabee. ATF. The man you most likely have there is an FBI agent. He was in our offices this afternoon discussing a case." OK, it was a stretch, but not exactly a lie. "We need to come to you." He waited a moment. "Got it. We can be there in less than 15 minutes. Don't contact the Bureau yet. We want to confirm ID before calling anyone else. Great. Thanks for your co-operation." He hung up and tried to hand the phone back to Ezra, who was not reacting.

"You don't have to come Ezra. Any one of us can take care of this."

"No, I have to go. I owe it…I have to go." He stood, controls back in place and poker face set. Only Vin was close enough to feel the slight trembling going through him.

"It's OK Ez. Whatever you need, we'll take care of it." Chris stepped forward. "I'll drive you over then. Vin, how much have you had to drink?"

"Two beers. I'm fine. I'll stay back out of the way, but I'm coming with you." Chris nodded. He wanted to be able to discuss the situation with the local cops at the scene, and someone was going to have to stay with Ezra. "Josiah will drive the rest of you back to the office. I'll call with any details. Josiah, contact Travis when you get there and see if he can roust anybody at Atlanta FBI out of bed to find out what LaRue was looking into here. It may help."

"You don't think this was just a mugging gone bad?" Buck asked. "Sounded like they said his wallet and ID were gone."

"Maybe, but I'm not a big fan of coincidence." He looked at Ezra. "You sure you want to do this?"

"No, I am quite certain I don't want to. Shall we get going?"

7-7-7-7-7-7-7

There were close to a dozen emergency vehicles surrounding the scene. Chris had no doubt most of them had arrived in the last few minutes, in response to the discovery that the victim was law enforcement. He took some comfort in knowing there was little likelihood whoever did this would get away with it. He also knew that fact was not going to help anyone right now. Vin was out of the car quickly and moving to Ezra's door, but the agent was faster and was already halfway over to the scene. "Ezra, hold up." Chris called after him. Ezra kept walking without looking back, so after signalling Vin to stay put he put on a burst of speed. He caught up just as Ezra reached the covered remains. "Detective Blair? I am Ezra Standish."

"Thanks for coming down. You Larabee?" Chris nodded his response, showing his ID at the same time. Ezra hadn't even thought about presenting his. He was staring mutely at the covered body on the ground.

"We left things as they were once we spoke to you. But I did have to notify my superiors about your suspicions. They will confirm with the Bureau once we have your ID." He reached out to lift the cover and Chris could feel the tension from Ezra.

"Hold on a second. Ezra, you sure about this? I can do it, you don't have to." He got no response beyond a slight nod and turned back to the detective. "OK."

Ezra clenched his jaw tightly for a moment before speaking. "Yes, that is Agent Daniel LaRue." He moved to take a step closer but stopped at the gentle touch of Chris's hand on his arm.

"You don't need to see any more Ezra. Go talk to Vin. I'll be there in a minute. Go on Ezra. Please." Eventually he nodded and stepped away. Chris watched until he was at Vin's side. He couldn't hear what was said but relaxed slightly when Vin reached his arm around Ezra's shoulder and led him back to the car.

"Detective, I'd appreciate any information you can give me on this. I know it's not our jurisdiction, but you can see this one is personal."

"Your man worked with him?"

"They were partners a few years back. LaRue, well let's just say he was a good friend at a time Ezra needed one. Think he'd like to do what he can to return the favour."

"All we know so far is it was two shots, one in the gut, one to the back of the head. He was probably face down on the ground for that one. Until we had the ID we figured it was a robbery gone wrong. Shot him in the stomach, and then decided it was better to kill him outright than risk being picked out of a line up later. Now, that seems less likely, but still possible. Too early to have much evidence."

"Anything in his pockets?"

"Just your man's card. It was caught in some torn lining, which may be why it was missed by whoever cleaned him out. I'll let you know what I can, but you can bet the Bureau boys are going to take over on this and shut us out. You know how protective they get."

"There is a chance they might not be quite as keen on this one. LaRue wasn't exactly a favourite son over there. Not what they considered a team player, if you know what I mean."

"Shit disturber. Good. I like a man who upsets the 'suits'. Keeps them on their toes. I'll keep an eye on the case as much as possible and let you know what I can. I assume if you guys come up with anything, you'll do the same?"

"But detective, this case is outside our authority. What makes you think we could possibly be any assistance?" Chris smiled and nodded as he gave his answer.

"Go take care of your friend. I'll be in touch."

Ezra was sitting in the back of the car, head resting on the door. Vin perched sideways on the front passenger seat watching him without speaking. He shook his head at Chris, indicating Ezra hadn't been terribly communicative.

Chris leaned against the vehicle, pulling out his cell phone. Josiah answered at the office.

"How's Ezra?"

"Pretty much how you'd expect."

"I spoke to the judge and he said he'd see who he could approach for information without ruffling too many feathers. Won't be able to get us anything for a while though."

"OK. You guys go home. I want everyone in first thing in the morning. I know it's Saturday but –"

"Don't worry Chris. We already had it planned. What about Ezra?"

"I'm gonna take him out to the ranch for a couple of days. Give him a chance to regroup. We'll figure out our next move in the morning." He hung up and turned to see Ezra staring at him.

"I'm not going to the ranch Chris. I appreciate the offer, but I am not running away."

"Ezra, there's nothing wrong with taking some time to deal with this. The man was your friend."

"He was more than that Chris, which is why I need to do this."

"It's not our case Ezra. We're not involved."

"Bullshit." That always sounded out of place coming from the urbane speaker. "You think I'm deaf? Or stupid? You fully intend to do whatever you are capable of on this matter, regardless of the possible repercussions for interfering in the investigation. This is on me. You need to step away."

"You have any idea how the Feds are going to react when they find out you made the ID on the body? You know the crap they deal out on a regular basis when you're involved. You don't need that now." Vin tried to reason with him.

Chris agreed. "You were done in before any of this happened. You had a hard week and needed the down time anyway. Take a few days."

"I am perfectly capable of channelling my actions and emotions appropriately."

"You mean burying it all away."

"I can deal with whatever I need to Chris. Always have been able to, and always will."

Vin didn't want to watch this turn into a pissing match. "Point is Ezra, you don't need to deal with this. Least wise, not alone."

Ezra was having no part of that. "The only issue that remains here is how I can prevent all of you from risking your futures, and on that matter, I will do whatever I have to. Surely you cannot doubt my sincerity on that."

Chris stood firm but was trying to sound like a friend and not a boss. "I'm not going to fight with you now. Here is how this is going to happen Ezra. We work this case together. Behind the scenes as much as possible, but together. I don't want you going off half-cocked on this. Everything we find out is on the table. No secrets. And before you say anything, it has nothing to do with trusting you. I know how you feel about taking care of your friends. I'm not going to let you do anything stupid here. We'll work this out together. We all owe him that."

"You met him for 10 minutes this morning Chris. How can you say you owe him something that could end your careers?"

The team leader grinned. That was the easiest question of the night. "Because he worried about a good friend of ours and helped him out in the past. We owe him that payback now."

"Just that simple Ezra." Vin agreed. "Sound okay to you?"

Ezra swallowed hard, struggling with what little reserve he had left to stay in control. "I believe your proposal sounds quite acceptable."

"OK." Chris was relieved the fight was over, at least for the moment. "I'll call Josiah back and let him know we'll be setting up a branch office at the ranch until this is wrapped up. I think the judge will give us at least a little bit of leeway, and with any luck we can get our answers before anybody gets too pissed off at us."

Vin grinned. "Well that would be a first."

M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7

 _tbc_


	3. Chapter 3

Chris wandered into the kitchen early and was sorry to see Vin had already made it to the coffee maker. How anyone could make coffee that bad in an automatic machine was a mystery none of them had been able to solve.

"Relax Chris, it's not mine. Ezra made it." Chris looked at his watch, then double checked the wall clock. Both showed it to be just after 7. "I know, but he's been up for at least half an hour."

"Ezra. Up at 6:30?"

"I doubt he got any sleep. Took his coffee out back."

"The stables?" Chris asked hopefully. The distraction would do him good. No one could settle him the way time with Chaucer did.

"No, he's just sitting on the fence. Literally in this case."

Chris looked out and saw Ezra perched on the railing of the corral. It was an unusual image, and one not fitting the man at all. "He say anything?"

Vin shook his head. "Barely even acknowledged I was here. I've never seen him like this Chris. Even when Maude puts him through the ringer he always seems to have some fight left in him. If nothing else the desire to prove her wrong. But this, this is different. Scares me a little, to be honest. Vulnerable is not a state I associate with him."

"He's just too damn good at hiding it most of the time." Chris saw Ezra lift his head, and a moment later heard the same sound he had, the arrival of a vehicle. He went to the front, expecting to see the rest of the team. He was not happy with what did greet him.

"Son-of-a-bitch, how'd they get out here so fast?" Two cars pulled to a stop and four men emerged. It took only a glance to recognize the standard FBI look they all wore. Yet another reason Ezra had never really fit in with that crowd.

"You do your best to keep Ezra inside, and I'll keep them out."

"Good plan Chris, but you should have told him." Vin tipped his head to indicate what was happening outside. Ezra had bypassed the house, circling around to meet his former colleagues.

"I am impressed gentlemen. I expected at least an additional hour before I would be subjected to your interrogations. Would you prefer indoors or out for the session?"

"We would prefer not to have to deal with you at all Standish, but that isn't an option. We know all about your past, so save us the BS. Why don't you just hop into the car here and we'll take you back into the city and have a little chat in our offices."

"No."

"No? I don't think that was what you wanted to say."

"You're right. But I was raised with better manners than would allow me to verbalize my preferred commentary." Chris fought back a grin as he stepped onto the porch.

"My agent gave you two perfectly viable options. I would suggest you take one of them before I make arrangements to have you all kicked off my property for trespassing."

"Stay out of this Larabee." Obviously, the men had done their research. "None of your concern. Get your ass in the car Standish. Now."

"You seem to have forgotten he doesn't work for the Bureau any longer, so you can't order him around. Now, before we go any further, I want to see IDs so I know who to file my complaints about."

The man who had been doing all the speaking stepped forward and grabbed Ezra's arm. The scene froze at the sound of a rifle being readied.

"As of this point none of you have presented any proof you are FBI, and you are in the process of assaulting an agent of the ATF. I would recommend you step away slowly before I let Agent Tanner know I have no problem with him firing his weapon. And in case you aren't aware of it, I should let you know he is a very good shot."

"Please Mr. Larabee, Mr. Tanner. None of this is necessary. I am sure these men can be reasonable." Ezra smiled coldly at the foursome. "After all, they are shining representatives of the finest law enforcement organization in the world. Isn't that immediately apparent to you?"

A second agent stepped forward. "OK, this all went wrong for no reason. Let's try it again. I am Agent Jenkins. FBI." He showed his badge. "These are Agents Tomlin, Clarke and" he pointed to the man who still had Tanner's weapon pointed at him, and Ezra in his grasp, "Agent Klimas. Let him go Dave." He turned back Chris. "All we want is to have a few words with Standish about the death of LaRue."

"I believe you intended to refer to him as Agent LaRue, given that he was a colleague, and as such due that measure of respect."

"His record shows he was a washed-up, drunken paper-pusher who was overstepping his authority." Klimas growled.

"I'd argue he was twice the agent you are but given the opinion I am forming of you in our brief acquaintance, that would be insulting to Agent LaRue."

Vin fought back a laugh at the confusion on Klimas's face. Chris wasn't as amused. Ezra pushing back was not something they needed right now.

"OK. Here is the deal. Agent Standish and I will meet with you at our office at ATF headquarters at noon. He," Chris pointed at Klimas, "will not be there."

"You don't give orders."

"No, but I do Dave. Shut up and get in the car. Make it one o'clock Agent Larabee." Chris nodded his acceptance and the trio watched the two cars drive away.

"Four? They sent four agents to question you?" Vin finally relaxed enough to allow his reaction to show. "What the hell?"

"It would appear they perceived me to be a significant threat. I am, after all, an extremely daunting individual."

Vin grinned. "You can be when you start tossing around them fancy words of yours."

Chris had wondered that from the moment the men arrived. "Why did they Ezra? Intimidation?"

"Bullying would be a better word. Clearly, my reputation remains coloured in certain circles, and this case allows those with small minds and smaller IQs to demonstrate their moral and investigative superiority." Chris watched Ezra during the speech. The words were pure Standish, but the spirit wasn't. There was a sense coming from him that he had already lost the battle.

"Not like you to turn tail so easily Ezra. Especially not when a friend is involved."

"I have no intention of allowing them the upper hand. When I meet with them there will be no trace of the defeatist attitude you are accurately assessing at this time."

Chris shook his head. "When we meet with them. You are not going into this alone."

"He's right Pard. None of this is something you need to handle solo."

"There is nothing to be gained by any of you putting yourself –"

The patented Larabee glare silenced him. "Not having this talk again Ezra. Go get yourself ready and we'll head into town for some breakfast. I'll call the others to meet us."

While he had no desire for a meal of any kind, Ezra was not foolish enough to challenge Chris on such a mundane matter. There would undoubtedly be several battles over the next few days, and this didn't need to be one of them. He quietly climbed the stairs and headed inside. Vin waited until they heard the bathroom door close before speaking.

"He's not dealing with this well."

"What did you expect?"

"A bit more of the piss and vinegar we usually get from him when he's ticked off."

If only it was that simple. "Problem is, he doesn't know who to be mad at, so it's gonna be turned against himself. Add to that the fact he lost a good friend, and he's got a wagonload of old shit coming back to bite him, again, and he's just too damn tired."

"Yeah, it doesn't help that he's coming off a messy case with us."

"Timing sucks, but there couldn't be a good time for something like this." Chris reached for the phone and dialed Josiah, quickly filling him in on the latest developments and making a plan for breakfast.

7-7-7-7-7-7-7

Josiah was making a mental note to himself that they were going to have to leave a generous tip at the diner, given that their conversation was driving most of the other guests to speedy departures. New arrivals were turning around in the doorway.

Buck and Chris had deteriorated to the stage their conversation could best be described as a growling match. It had started rationally enough with a review of the information they had received from the police but deteriorated with alarming speed when Chris went into detail on the events at the ranch.

"What the hell do you mean you agreed to letting them interview him? He's not a fuckin' suspect."

"I know that Buck. Don't you think forbidding them from talking to him would set off a few alarms?"

"You know what these bastards are like."

That brought Chris's first growl. "Keep your voice down. Yes, I know. Why do you think I insisted on going in with him?"

"We should all go in with him."

That brought a laugh from Nathan. "Oh yeah, that wouldn't look strange at all. They'd assume we figure he couldn't take care of himself."

"Did you really hold a rifle on four FBI agents Vin?" JD was seriously pissed off that he had missed that moment. "Don't you think that's only gonna make them madder?"

"Don't see that they could get much more riled up. They smell blood, and I'm guessing they have every intention of going for it."

That brought Buck back in full voice. "Which is why you shouldn't have agreed to any of this. Gonna be like tossing him into the lion's den with a string of pork chops around his neck."

That silenced everyone for a moment as they processed the mental imagery. Josiah was the first to start things up again.

"They are going to play games with him on this regardless of what we say or do. I have no doubt there are a few stubborn SOBs there who still believe Ezra should never have been allowed to leave the way he did."

"What?" Buck growled back. "Under a cloud of suspicion with his tail between his legs? So we are just handing him over to give them another shot at him? Finish the job. Hell, he might as well hand in his resignation now."

"Perhaps that would be for the best for all concerned." Ezra's voice was so low it could barely be heard, but the tone and the look on his face brought conversation to a dead stop. "Apparently Nathan was correct. You do not feel I am capable of handling myself. I am nothing but a whipped pup, incapable of having even a small say in my own fate. If that is the opinion you hold, then for all concerned, my resignation would be the optimum course with which to proceed. If you will excuse me gentlemen, I need to freshen up." He pushed himself away from the table, ignoring the reaction to his words and heading to the men's room.

"Shit. Why didn't one of you shut me up?" Buck was mortified.

"In the first place, that's damn near impossible, and in the second, we were to busy being jackasses." Chris answered matter-of-factly. "No Josiah, give him a few minutes." The big man had stood up to follow, but reluctantly returned to his seat.

"Like we didn't have enough to worry about, now we have to fix this."

"Any idea how to do that?"

Chris didn't have a clue how to answer Nathan.

"You know, it's likely he's not really as mad at us as he is at himself right now."

JD disagreed. "I don't know Josiah. I'm thinking he is royally pissed off at us, and with good reason."

Vin stood slowly. "I'm gonna go talk to him. Might be best if you all were gone when we come out. We'll meet you at the office."

Chris nodded, tossing his keys over. "Good luck."

M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7

 _tbc_


	4. Chapter 4

Vin tapped on the men's room door before walking in. He wasn't sure what to expect, but it wasn't what he saw. Ezra was leaning heavily on the sink, trying to wipe off his face and wash the taste out of his mouth. The smell of vomit was evident.

"Damn it Ezra. We didn't…none of us…" he was lost as to how to proceed. Thankfully, Ezra didn't make him struggle.

"There is no need Vin. As difficult as that was to hear, there was not a false statement uttered." He didn't turn to face him, carrying on the conversation with the reflection in the mirror. It seemed easier than having to look him in the eye.

"Yeah there were. Most of them. Shit Ezra, you know we trust you, don't you? Haven't we gotten past all of that?"

"While the motivation remains a mystery, the truth of the statement can't be argued. Yes, I know that. I also know that you all watch over me as if I was some kind of fragile piece of crystal, ready to shatter at a moment's notice."

"No. We really don't. It's just that when something like this happens and we do go a little over the top –" he paused at the look he got. "Fine. A lot over the top, you notice it and take it wrong. We close ranks and protect. You don't seem to get that this is just what family does Ezra."

"Not in my experience." He reluctantly grinned slightly. "At least, not in my prior experience." He sighed and pushed himself away from the sink. "I imagine our colleagues are beginning to wonder what has happened to us."

"They've headed back to the office. I'm supposed to either bring you with me or fall on my sword in shame." He figured that was the intention of the looks they gave him when he headed in here.

"Good heavens. We certainly can't permit that to occur. Shall we join them?"

Vin reached out and stopped him. "We get to be too much, you say so. Best intentions can be a bit – overwhelming at times."

"I shall endeavour to keep you all in check."

7-7-7-7-7-7-7

The interview session took close to two hours. Ezra had convinced the others to allow him to handle it on his own. Their reluctance had been hard to overcome, but guilt over what had transpired at the diner proved to be enough to sway the decision. After eliciting a solemn vow from Ezra that he would summon them, or appropriate legal counsel if things went that far, they agreed to stay away from the meeting.

Chris regretted that when the door to the private office finally opened and the three interrogators left without saying a word. The six friends conducted a wordless discussion, and not surprisingly Vin ended up being the one to step forward and go in, closing the door. A couple of minutes later it opened again, and the two men left.

"We're gonna head out to the ranch. Why don't you all pick up some dinner and supplies and meet us there in about an hour or so?" Chris nodded at the plan. He reached out and rested a hand on Ezra's shoulder. No words were spoken, but the younger man offered a ghost of a smile in gratitude before walking away.

Vin tried to look reassuring. "I got this Chris. We'll see you in a bit."

7-7-7-7-7-7-7

"I think a large part of the issue I had with this entire process is that they showed so little interest in Daniel's investigation."

They were all back out at the ranch, finishing off a late meal and discussing strategy. Ezra picked at his plate, barely touching the steak. It wasn't as much a lack of appetite as it was simmering anger that dampened his enthusiasm.

"What do you mean?"

Ezra looked dejected. "They had no interest in his reason for being here."

JD was confused. "Wasn't it just too pick up evidence on some old cold case?"

"Daniel said there was something else he was interested in. A different case. Something he clearly didn't have the approval on, since Jenkins was totally unaware of any such investigation."

"And didn't want to hear about it." Nathan added as a statement more than a question.

"While there is no basis whatsoever for what I am about to say, I firmly believe that it was that investigation that resulted in his death. Call it instinct or intuition, or even a gut feeling if that works, but I know it to be true."

He waited for them to challenge him. "Do you have any clue as to what the case was? Any idea on how to find out?" Chris knew he shouldn't enjoy the look of surprise on Ezra's face, but did find it refreshing. It was hard to get the best of him. "Ezra, the reason you are the best undercover man I've ever met is because of your instincts and intuition. You think we're going to start ignoring them now?"

Vin leaned back in his chair. "Chris, you think that cop we met at the crime scene might be in the mood to co-operate? He seemed friendly and sensible."

Ezra nodded his agreement. "And if he is as frustrated by the Bureau tactics as virtually every local law officer is when dealing with the morass of red tape, he might welcome a supportive phone call."

"I'll call him. Any other ideas?"

There was silence at the table. Ezra finally spoke reluctantly. "I could contact some of my former colleagues –"

Josiah cut him off. "What would be the point? You know they're not about to lend a hand."

"And likely too stupid to know what was going on anyway." Buck added. "No need to put yourself through that."

"No, I suppose not. The mere suggestion is an indication of how discombobulated this affair has left me." It was a powerful admission for him to make.

Chris knew it was time to be team leader again. "The rest of you can all either sprawl out somewhere here or head home, your choice. We aren't gonna get much done until we find out what Blair can share with us. Ezra, you are in the main guest room for the night. And you are going there now. Vin, because of your back, you can be in the spare room beside his." The back problem was a convenient excuse to hide the truth. He would be close enough that Ezra could reach out if he needs to talk. He's also be there if there were any problems.

The agent offered a weak grin. "Mr. Larabee are you sending me to bed because I didn't finish my dinner?"

It was nice to hear the tease back in Ezra's voice, even though they knew it was forced, and the accompanying grin did not come close to lighting up his face the way it should.

"Yes Mr. Standish, I am. Someone needs to be taking care of you, and I guess I'm stuck with the job." He looked at the rest. "Who's staying and who's going?"

Not surprising, no one headed for door. Josiah made an early presumptive move to claim ownership of the comfortable lounging chair in the corner of the family room. Once there for the evening, it went without saying is was his for the night. The others would sort out arrangements later.

Ezra stood and offered another flash of his smile before accepting his orders and heading off. He doubted he would sleep much but resting felt like a surprisingly welcome notion. He stopped as he was about to exit the room, hesitating as he tried to find away to put all that he was feeling into words. There was so much to say, so much to be grateful for, that he felt uncommonly lost for the right way to vocalize it all. He finally turned his head, looking back.

"Thank you."

7-7-7-7-7-7-7

Chris pushed himself away from the desk. He had locked himself in his den the moment the police courier had arrived with the paperwork Detective Blair had promised him the night before. The detective seemed more that ready to do anything that would annoy the FBI.

There wasn't a lot there. Blair had told him there was no laptop, and LaRue's cell phone hadn't appeared to have any data on it. The Bureau had taken that, along with originals of everything else. But all the paperwork had been scanned, and it was those printouts Chris reviewed now. A few bank statements with no names on them, only account numbers. Travel documents, again with names redacted. And multiple small scraps of paper that had been stuck into a notebook with an elastic band holding it all together based on the police photo. The notebook itself took some effort to decipher. The man's handwriting was worse that Buck's, and that was something Chris never imagined he would see. Most of the information seemed to be about assorted cold cases, none of which seemed likely to get him killed. He was about halfway through the book when the name of a homicide victim caught his eye.

Richard - no last name on the note. Rick? Ricky? That could be nothing more than a coincidence. It was a common enough name. But the date of the death fit the timeline. It was only a few weeks before Ezra resigned. He tried to remember more of the details from the affair that had cost Ezra so much. Before offering him the position at ATF, Larabee and Travis had fully reviewed the file. No arrest was made in the death of the informant. There didn't seem to be much effort put into the task. He skimmed LaRue's notes further.

Questions were listed several pages further along, in bulleted notes of a fresh page _._

 _Who knew Ricky? Who did Ricky know? Had he pissed off anyone else in the gang? Who might have known he was ES's informant? An informant at all? Who in the Bureau knew?_

In the Bureau? LaRue thought this was an inside job? Chris knew the man didn't suspect for a second that Ezra was behind it, so obviously he had come to the conclusion someone else on the inside couldn't be trusted. That conclusion **would** be enough to get him killed. And that fact could also be enough to send Ezra into an emotional and guilt-based tailspin.

He stared at the notes for a while longer, hoping some other logical option would jump out. He wasn't surprised when none did. He gathered the notes and headed for the family room.

"Find anything worth following up?" Vin asked, knowing the answer from the look on Chris's face. He got a silent nod for an answer.

Buck smiled broadly. "Well that's great. What are we waiting for?"

"What's the matter Chris?" Vin could see the concern.

There was nothing to be gained by sugar-coating this. "Ezra, from what I can make of this, he was investigating corruption within the bureau."

"Great way to win friends." JD commented.

Nathan was puzzled as well. "Not exactly the actions of someone hoping to get back in the good graces of the powers that be. Why would he risk a move like that?"

Ezra hadn't said a word, but he'd paled noticeably and was shaking his head vehemently.

"Now calm down son." Josiah had seen the change. "Getting worked up isn't gonna help."

"My case. He was looking into my case, wasn't he?" When Chris failed to answer, Ezra's anxiety ratcheted up. "No. The stupid son-of-a-bitch. What the hell was he thinking?"

That was a no-brainer to Buck. "He was thinking you got shafted, and that there is a crooked agent in the FBI who benefited from the whole affair at the time, and probably still is."

Vin saw it as much simpler than that. "He was doing his job Ezra. This whole time, he'd been doing his job."

"He shouldn't have been doing that kind of work. It was demeaning and beneath him."

Josiah had been anticipating the reaction from the moment Chris opened his mouth. Ezra's emotions were still raw and near the surface; an unusual situation for him.

"Daniel didn't seem to see things that way. He sounded mighty proud of the cases he'd closed."

Nathan was in total agreement. "As he should. No matter how old a case is, someone's still waiting for an answer on it Ezra."

Ezra wasn't really hearing their explanations. "He wouldn't have been if not for me. He wouldn't have been divorced, or in the doghouse with the Bureau, and he sure as hell wouldn't be dead now."

JD was shaking his head. "You don't know any of that."

"Don't I?"

"If his wife left him because of his job, it's likely she would've found some other reason. From what he said, she wasn't exactly devoted." Josiah knew their words weren't getting through to him.

"He was demoted, shunned, because of me. And now you are saying he was killed because of me."

"In the first place, that idea is still speculation." Chris hastened to clarify. "But, even if that's what happened, then it still isn't because of you."

"It's because a few crooked agents set you up. Their fault Ezra, not yours."

"Splitting hairs Nathan."

"Important hairs. Ezra, you are every bit as much a victim in this as Daniel was."

"He is the one who paid the price."

JD saw a bigger picture. "And you didn't? All the shit you went through? The accusations, threats, getting turfed out?"

"Not fired. I quit. Walked out. How did you phrase it Buck? 'Tail between my legs'?"

"Damn it Ezra, I didn't mean that against you."

"But it was true. Humiliating, but true." He paused in his rant to catch his breath. He looked around at the men who so staunchly defended him now, against his worst enemy – himself. "And I daresay it was the best thing that ever happened to me."

"We feel that way too, but it sure would have been nice if the road had been a little easier." Josiah said with no small amount of relief in his voice.

"And not so full of U-turns, detours and dead-ends." JD added.

"Look, Ezra. We get that you want to make this right. And we want to help with that. But we have to play this by the book."

Chris ran his hand over his head. "Have to disagree Nathan. I think we may have to need to throw the book out on this one."

"No." The sharp response from Ezra surprised them. "I will not allow anyone else to take any foolish chances on my behalf. My responsibility, whatever you may consider it to be, in Daniel's fate, will not be repeated for any of you. The concept you would throw away your careers or worse is unacceptable.

Chris turned and smiled at him. "What makes you think that we'd let you do it then?"

Ezra couldn't fight back the somewhat melancholy smile that came to his face. "I don't deserve any of you."

"No." Buck agreed, and his own smile returning. "But you're stuck with us anyway. What say we find a proper way to bring this bastard down?"

M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7

 _tbc_


	5. Chapter 5

JD spent long hours Sunday afternoon at the computer, trying to backtrack the information Daniel had located. He was grateful to be getting help from Nathan and Josiah keeping a flow chart of the activity but drew the line at letting Buck or Chris anywhere near the process. "With all due respect guys, you two are not cut out for the cyber world. I mean, it's not bad enough you still have a VCR at home Chris, but the damn thing still flashes 12:00!" He ignored the soft growl his comments got and turned to speak to Ezra. "I'm sure Daniel was a great guy, but from what I can see, he definitely wasn't an expert on IT. I mean, he knew his way around well enough, but he was lousy at hiding his foot print."

"No, Daniel wasn't overly fond of the cyber world. The fact he was able to do what he did is no small surprise to me."

"I guess he was pretty motivated, wanting to do right by a friend." JD smiled. "You two have that trait in common." Ezra didn't acknowledge the comment, but JD was sure a slight blush came to his face. He spared the man any further comment on it. "Don't worry. Nobody's going to know I was anywhere near this file.

"That disquieting concern would never trouble my cognizance. The postulation that any entity at the Bureau could conceive of equalling your prowess is ludicrous."

That confirmed that Ezra had been embarrassed. While he never shied away from making full use of his extensive, and often intriguing, vocabulary, JD had noticed that self-consciousness could easily lead to the fancier language. Fairly certain that all of translated into a compliment, JD smiled before shifting his focus back to the job. It was almost two hours later when he finally pushed away from the desk, grabbing for a small stack of papers he had printed out.

"Ezra, you know an agent named Steck?"

"While it would please me no end to be able to say I had never made his acquaintance, that would be a lie. He was not one of my favourite people in Atlanta."

Buck chuckled lightly. "You had favourite people there?"

"It was a small number and included a charming lady who made exquisite peach pie at a local bakery."

"Well, his name keeps coming up in these reports and summaries. Who is he?'

Ezra couldn't quite believe this turn. "Steck is a bureaucrat in every sense of the word. I am not certain the man ever worked an active case. He has been nothing but an administrative hack."

"Well, he's worked his way pretty high in the organization on that skill."

Josiah was looking through the printouts. "He's been in a position to get his hands on a lot of information, and evidence. He could easily be manipulating any number of activities from where he's been working over the years." He paused and looked over at Ezra. "He was in charge of processing data on confidential informants at the time your CI was murdered."

"He wouldn't have had the name. At least, he shouldn't have."

Vin had been in on enough operations to know that wasn't needed. "Wouldn't have mattered. If he could tip off – what was name of the guy you were after?"

"Giannopolous."

"Right. If he could tip him off that there was an informant, and an undercover operation going on, it wouldn't have been to hard to figure out who it was based on the information."

"This bastard has been in charge of evidence, financial payments, witness protection. He's basically the conduit for a ton of very valuable information." Chris was reviewing JD's research. "And, he would have been in position to see to it that there was just enough evidence to make you look dirty, without pushing it into a full investigation that might have led in directions he wouldn't want."

"And Daniel figured this all out." Ezra was almost in shock. "He changed the subject when I mentioned Steck that day. I was just listing off some of the names that came to mind, trying to lead into a totally different conversation. It must have startled him when I hit on the one he was investigating."

"Only you could randomly hit on the exact last thing you should have brought up Ezra." Vin smiled.

"It is a rather unique gift I have."

Josiah was also reviewing the paper work. "There isn't a case here Chris. This is all circumstantial."

JD cleared his throat self-consciously. "Uh, most of it wouldn't be admissible anyway."

Chris closed his eyes in a quick prayer. "Spare us the details – please. Don't want to hear any of that."

"How do we draw him out then? The bastard can't walk away on this."

"He won't Buck. We know who we're after, we start working the case backwards till we find a way in."

"No, we can't wait for that."

They all looked at Ezra. There was clear note of desperation in his voice that he was making absolutely no effort to hide.

"I take it there is something you haven't shared with us?" Josiah asked, trying to keep any accusatory tone out of his question.

His head dipped in the barest effort to nod. He hadn't planned on sharing the details of his questioning at the hands of the Bureau on the weekend, and the others had been mercifully tolerant of his reluctance.

"The Bureau, in its infinite insanity, has concluded the Daniel's extracurricular investigations were in fact not case work, but rather his ongoing - ongoing illegal actions."

There was a full five seconds of stunned silence before the room exploded with each man vocalizing his reaction. Ezra couldn't sort them all out, but was fairly certain the words idiots, morons, nitwits, cretins and boneheads had all been used. There was also a more colourful expression which resonated in Buck's deep tone. He allowed himself a moment of silent gratitude that the faith and trust of these men was so deep that he would not be required to defend his friend to them.

"You should've said something Ezra." Vin chided gently. "You didn't think we'd agree with them, did you?"

"You didn't know Daniel."

"We know you. That's all we need."

The irony was not lost on the agent. "Interesting. That same association is why the Bureau was so quick to assign the label of dirty cop."

Buck got colourful again. "So the fuckers went with guilt by association. Even though you ain't guilty of a damn thing."

"Idiots don't have two brain cells to rub together."

"While JD is accurate in that conclusion, what they do have is the ability to ensure Daniel does not get the recognition he deserves."

Chris now understood the urgency. "They're gonna deny him a funeral with honours?"

Ezra nodded. His voice broke slightly when he added, "Service is scheduled for Thursday. His boy should see his father buried properly."

"This will mess with the pension payment to the boy too, won't it?" Josiah seethed at the stupidity and pettiness behind it all.

"I can't let that happen. There has to be a way to bring down Steck without dealing with channels and bureaucracy." He saw Vin shifting in his seat. "You have a strategy in mind?"

The sharpshooter shifted nervously. "Not so much a strategy as a notion. And one that I don't like."

The Ezra spark was back for the first time in days. "I am certain under that circumstance Chris shall despise it, whereas I shall embrace it. Please, go on."

"You think you could convince Steck that you're in a position to blackmail him?"

"Absolutely."

"Not a chance." Chris answered at the same time. "Bastard has killed one agent already. One of his own. You are not walking into a trap."

"It is not a trap if we are the ones who set it in motion."

Chris did not look persuaded. "You convince him you're crooked, and it backfires, you are going to be in one shitload of trouble."

"We are not wrong Chris. Daniel wasn't wrong."

"No, he wasn't." _And now he's dead_ , Chris thought, knowing he didn't need to remind any of them of that.

"I don't have to convince him, merely make him wonder enough to force his hand. The merest suggestion that Daniel provided me with a copy of his evidence, even just his suspicions, should be more than sufficient to spur him to action."

"That's precisely what worries me."

Vin was regretting he had come up with the idea. He had the same doubts and concerns. But he also knew Ezra would push ahead with this one way of the other and didn't intend to let him play it out on his own.

"We can't stop him Chris."

Buck had reached the same conclusion. "Look at him. He's gonna take this guy down with or without us. Don't you figure it'd be smartest for us to have his back?"

Six anxious faces stared at him. Ezra was the first to smile, seeing the acceptance come. No wonder the man was so good at poker. He had read Chris's decision before it had been made.

"We lay out the game plan - and you stick to it. No screwing around. We'll set things up for Tuesday night. Gives us time to be as prepared as we can and still leaves the FBI time to do right by LaRue."

It was cutting things close, but Ezra knew he had pushed his limit to the extreme and acquiesced to the schedule.

 **M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7**

 _ **tbc**_


	6. Chapter 6

A simple anonymous text on Monday was all that had been required. "LaRue shared a great deal with me before his death." Steck had replied that he didn't know what this was about, and that sender should contact someone locally to hand over any information. Ten minutes later, JD's hack on the agent's credit card showed him buying a late-night airline ticket to Denver. Tuesday afternoon a text was sent setting up a meeting.

"Can you honestly say you're surprised to see me here Agent Steck?"

The incredulity was evident. "After you proclaimed your innocence for so long, yeah, it's surprising to see you as the fella waiting for me."

"And all that time, you were one of the few who knew my claims were valid."

"What do you mean? I figured you for crooked, like everyone else did. Fact that you're here now finally proves it."

"Oh, my presence is the proof. But of your guilt – not mine. But as you were the man responsible, you've known that all along."

"You seriously think you can get yourself out of this by trying to take me down? You crazier than I ever gave you credit for."

"I'm not the one who gets credit for this, satisfying though it would be. This arrest will be credited to Daniel LaRue."

"That washed-up drunk?" The same phrase Klimas had used. Clearly Steck had been the source of that information.

"I really believe you should be adhering to the 'he who lives in glass houses' philosophy Agent Steck. You are in no position to be throwing any stones."

"And you are? Tell me Standish, you wired? Who else is listening in on this?"

"This is a personal matter."

"Yeah – like the bunch of goody-two-shoes you hang out with would let you in here on your own."

This time Ezra could not contain his reaction and barked out a loud laugh. "Goody-two-shoes? You are familiar with the gentleman I now associate with? Good Lord, even Mr. Dunne would object to that label, and Mr. Wilmington – well he would likely be inflicting some significant physical damage in response."

"You didn't answer my question."

"No. I didn't. And no, I am not wearing a wire."

"And your colleagues?"

"I informed them this meeting is scheduled in about two hours from now. They foolishly have enough faith in my character to assume I would choose not to take advantage of the unique opportunity that this case has presented."

"You never struck me as the vengeful type Standish."

"I have built a career – a life, on making sure people are unable to see the real me." He paused, watching Steck nervously lick at his lips. "However, it is safe to say in this case, you are accurate. What I do believe in is payback, in the literal sense." Steck stared, not understanding. "If I am going to deal with the consequences of a corrupted reputation for the remainder of my career, I believe it only fitting that I finally benefit from the act."

"You want money? You seriously expect me to believe that now, after all this time, you're going to take a bribe?"

"What makes you so certain I have waited? You are familiar with the dreadful cliché 'where there is smoke, there is fire'. Why do you think it was so easy to frame me? Why do you think I didn't put up more of a challenge?"

Steck was catching on. "You didn't want to risk they'd find out the real deal while investigating the phony one. How ironic." Ezra merely nodded, a smile ghosting across his face.

"You have amassed a considerable cushion based in no small part on the benefits you obtained at the expense of my spoiled reputation. The time has come to pay the piper."

"Or else what? Not like you can turn me in."

"There is more than one way to collect on a debt."

"What? You pointing that illegal little peashooter of yours at me? That's why your hands are hidden?"

"It is non-regulation, not illegal. And no, I am not pointing any weapon at you."

"Good." Steck reached to pull his own gun out. "That will make this so much easier."

"I said I am not pointing a weapon at you. I didn't say there wasn't one. In fact, I believe there are six."

Steck froze in place, his gun only barely out of its holster. "You lied to me?"

"Why do people continue to be shocked by that fact? Yes, Agent Steck. I lied to you."

"Well, to be fair, not everything he said was a lie." Vin's voice came from a dark corner of the building. "For example, he isn't wired. The room is."

Josiah was the next to be heard from. "Now, there was one lie he told, and a big one. He's never taken a penny he wasn't entitled to. No smoke – no fire."

"Should have seen through this. LaRue didn't give you anything, did he? You never had anything to bargain with. I should have known better."

"You have heard the expression you cannot cheat an honest man. That goes hand-in-glove with my philosophy that states when you are dealing with a crooked cop, it is uncommonly easy to convince him you are every bit as corrupt."

Steck stared at his accuser, who remained calmly in his seat. "You think you can take me down Standish?"

"No. I think you took yourself down. The tragedy is, you took a good man with you."

"Two good men." Chris amended.

"The idiot figured out what I was doing." Steck lamented. "Dumb luck."

"Perseverance and superlative investigative skills. The Bureau's treatment of him again reflects their startling lack of foresight."

"I'm not going to jail Standish."

"I believe the evidence contradicts that. You really have no option left to you." Ezra stared him down, daring him to challenge the claim.

"You know there is always an option."

"True. And with six guns trained on you, you can easily take that route."

"Could take you out with me. Some satisfaction in that."

"Not a chance." Larabee's voice came from the shadows again.

"I have to agree with him. I doubt you would succeed." Ezra commented. "But by all means, make the effort to prove me wrong."

"Don't waste your time Steck." Vin shouted hoping to hide the mild panic he was feeling. What the hell was Ezra doing? "We won't miss."

"That is his hope Mr. Tanner. He has no desire to see a court room and is counting on you to ensure that."

"Well, we won't." Buck countered. "You make the least little move, and we will shoot. Take out a kneecap, maybe the elbow. Vin can blow the gun right out of your hand. But you don't get to die today."

"Someone will." Steck was faster than any of them would have guessed and he did succeed in getting off one shot before he fell to the ground, shrieking as four bullets hit him. Nathan charged out from behind his cover, leaping over the FBI agent to get to Ezra.

"Did he hit you?" Ezra didn't answer, staring at the downed agent instead. "Dammit Ezra!"

"No." He answered softly. "Will he survive?"

"What the hell are you trying to prove Ezra?"

"Will he survive?"

Nathan was checking the man over. "Two in the leg, one shoulder and one in his hand, he's a mess, but he'll live."

Chris grabbed at Ezra's arm and spun him around. "Answer me. What were you trying to prove?"

"You wanted me to force his hand."

"For a confession. Which we got. Not for murdering another federal agent."

"I had every confidence in your ability –"

"Stow it Ezra. You were pushing him to shoot you."

"He will try to claim entrapment. We could lose the confession."

"So, shooting you would give us the evidence. Are you out of your mind?"

"He fired a shot. We can now at least be certain of a charge of attempted murder, with reliable witnesses."

"Reliable? You aren't going down that road again?" Vin glanced at him ready to open that discussion if need be.

"I believe this is not the most appropriate time or venue to review the matter." Ezra spoke quietly as additional agents arrived. Travis had insisted on bringing in a couple of FBI agents to oversee the sting, to make sure there were no accusations of a set up. "Shall we table this discussion?"

M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7

 _tbc_


	7. Chapter 7

Chris closed the folder of documents and hit send. The file was now out of his hands and under the control of the FBI. Travis had promised the team he would keep an eye on the proceedings and ensure that no deals were made. Steck was going to pay for what he had done.

He could hear the rest of the team talking in the bullpen. The fact it was a Saturday morning hadn't kept any of them away. The emotions of the week weighed on all of them and coming together was a natural way to cope. He stood and opened his door, then returned to his desk. The action was the only signal they needed to join him.

"Ezra back from Atlanta yet?" An honour guard funeral was held for Daniel Jackson a week after his death. The team had all volunteered to accompany him, but Ezra insisted he would prefer to do this without the entourage. They hated that. Sending him into what they viewed as enemy territory where he would be confronting former colleagues as well as Steck's friends, and possibly accomplices. He would also have to deal with Daniel's ex-wife, which was bound to be yet another stressful confrontation.

But no matter how much they hated the request, they honoured it. He had heard all of the apologies, all of the self-recriminations over the perceived doubts in his ability to deal with this. Now, he needed to see the tangible proof of those claims.

Chris nodded his answer to Nathan. "Got in early this morning. Said everything went well. Spent quite a bit of time with Daniel's son. From the sound of it, that did them both good."

Josiah relaxed a bit on hearing that. "Yes, I can imagine that would have been the ideal medicine for him. For both of them. It would be good to keep that line of communication open."

"Guessing that won't be a problem. He already mentioned the boy was interested in horses, so I am expecting I'll be having a visitor come summer." Chris smiled at the idea of having a kid out there again. "Told him to take it easy today, but to meet up at the ranch tonight." His tone tightened slightly as he spoke.

"No Chris. Not a good idea." Josiah challenged him.

"What do you mean not a good idea. I don't think he needs to be on his own tonight, do you?"

Vin knew exactly what Josiah was concerned about. He had the same worries. "No, he shouldn't. He needs his friends, whether he admits it or not. What he doesn't need is what you have in mind."

"A steak dinner and a few drinks?"

Even Buck saw through the act. "Cut the bull Chris. You can't invite him out there just to ambush him over the crap he pulled with Steck."

Chris dropped the pretense. "He tried to get the bastard to shoot him. Damn near succeeded. I'm supposed to just let that go?"

"Yes."

"Sorry Vin, but it doesn't work that way."

Josiah rose from his seat and perched on the edge of Chris's desk, which earned him a dirty look that he ignored. "Do you really think, for a moment, that Ezra would have done something that stupid and selfish to us?"

"Done it to us? He almost got himself shot – on purpose. How is that doing something to us?"

Maybe it was because he wasn't quite as angry as Chris, but JD figured out first what Josiah was getting at. "He wouldn't set himself up while we were the ones protecting him."

"Exactly. You think he would let us deal with the kind of guilt he is feeling about losing his friend? Not a chance Chris. He knew we were there. That we'd have his back. I would bet next week's pay on the fact he fully expected to walk out of there without a scratch."

Chris leaned back in his seat, tenting his fingers and resting his head against them. He'd been too caught up in what could have happened to stop and realize how unlikely it was that it ever would happen. "It was still a stupid risk." He defended himself with little conviction.

"Not in his opinion."

"When you think about it," Nathan added, "it's pretty much the highest compliment he's ever given us."

Chris's shame washed over him like a wave. "And I was going to throw it back in his face."

Buck grinned. "Can't say that would have surprised him."

Chris glared, but in light of the discussion, it was far from effective. "So, what do we do about tonight?"

"Exactly what you proposed the evening should be." Josiah answered. "We meet up and the ranch, enjoy good food, good wine and good friends."

"It is likely exactly what he needs right now." Nathan concurred.

Chris nodded with a ghost of a smile. "I'd guess it's what we all need."

 **M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7**

 _The End_

 _Once again, my deepest thanks to you all for taking time out of your lives to justify my need to write._


End file.
